


Hello Friend

by conversekitten



Series: Hello Reality! [1]
Category: Hello Puppets (Video Game)
Genre: Drinking, F/M, Intoxication, Just so there's no confusion, Swearing, and the puppets are human in this story, everyone lives together in the studio btw, more pairing to come later, scout and owen have a sort of father and daughter relationship in this story, this is based upon a hello puppets au I have on my tumblr
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:26:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25925101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/conversekitten/pseuds/conversekitten
Summary: After being caught in a lie about a her failing grades, Scout is tasked with finding a subject for her final term project in psychology. When she finds the perfect subject to be Owen Gubberson, Scout begins her research but soon finds that the man hides more than people realize.
Relationships: Mortimer Handee/Riley Ruckus
Series: Hello Reality! [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1881475
Kudos: 10





	1. The Game Plan

**Author's Note:**

> Hello once again everyone! I apologize for leaving the fandom for so long but I'm back now with a brand new story from a new au I am making with a friend from tumblr toyboxworker! We have worked on this project together and I really enjoyed writing it with them so I hope you enjoy reading it! Fair warning there is a lot of swearing in the first two chapters and maybe more later on but let's go!

It was a chilly November day as the sun was peeking out from behind the clouds. A cool wind blew through the trees making Scout shiver as she stood outside of the studio entrance, waiting patiently for the mailman to arrive. She heaved a sigh, beginning to tap her foot as the mail truck finally came around the corner, making its way inch by inch along the street. Scout began bouncing on her heels before taking off down the road as the mailman got out of his truck. He didn’t see her in his blindspot as he reached into the large bag for the mail and nearly jumped when he turned to see Scout two inches from his face. 

“Hey there Earl! Whatcha’ got for me today?” Scout said with an eager smile. 

Earl nodded as he pulled a few letters out of his bag, holding them out for her to take. “Here ya go-” 

Scout snatched the letters from Earl with lightning speed before taking off down the street back to the studio. “THANKS EARL! SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!” 

Earl sighs, wiping sweat off his brow. “That kid is gonna kill me one day.” he mumbled before getting back into the truck. 

As Scout kicked the door open with her foot she sorted through the mail, mumbling ‘no’ to herself every so often as she looked over the envelopes. Finally, she reached the one from her school that had the word ‘Urgent’ stamped on it in red lettering.

“Found it! OH, ROSCOOOOO! COME HERE BOY! I HAVE A TREAT FOR YO-OU!” Scout shouted and after two seconds the big yellow dog came bounding around the corner. He put his paws down to stop which sent him sliding across the kitchen floor to stop right next to Scout, a big dopey grin on his face.

“There you are, boy! Here you go!” Scout said, giving the letter to Rosco. He sniffed it for a while before snatching it from Scout’s hand and running off with it in his mouth. 

“Hey, NO! DOGS LOVE TO EAT IMPORTANT PAPERS!” Scout shouted as she ran after him. Scout chased Rosco all through the hall until they both arrived at the living room where Mortimer sat in an armchair reading the paper. Rosco uses his snout to nudge the man’s knee, making him look up from his reading. 

“Ah, I see you brought the mail old boy.” Mortimer said petting Rosco on the head before taking the letter from the golden retriever. Scout panics slightly as Mortimer opens the envelope and reads over the letter inside before the blue haired teen snatched it from his hands. 

“You know your mother isn’t going to be happy about this, Scout.” Mortimer said, raising an eyebrow. 

Scout nods. “Yeah but how will she find out if there’s no letter?” she said before grabbing Rosco by the collar and trying to get him to eat it. 

Unbeknownst to them, Riley had come around the corner into the living room and was greeted by the sight of Scout trying to shove something down Rosco’s throat. 

“SCOUT! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO ROSCO?!” Riley screeched as she ran over to them both. 

“Um, well uh…..oh he uh...rosco he uh….I...remember that vase that you like? Well it broke and I didn’t break it but he did and then he swallowed a piece of it so now I’m trying to….get it….out of his mouth and…..before he swallows it…...and uh….” Scout stuttered as Rosco was busy gnawing at her arm. 

“It looks like you’re shoving your hand down my dogs throat! What are you trying to do, puppeteer him? We got a good thing goin’ here scout don’t make Owen regret it!” 

Mortimer looks over his newspaper and is like “Oh for god’s sake Scout, just leave that poor animal alone and tell your mother the truth.” 

Riley looks at Scout with narrowed eyes before putting her hands on her hips. “What does he mean by ‘the truth’, Scout?” 

Scout rolls her eyes as she takes her hand out of Rosco’s mouth. “Okay fine he didn’t swallow the vase it was the tv remote. I’m sorry I didn’t put it where it was and I was trying to get it back.” 

Mortimer looks over the top of his newspaper. “Scoooooout” he says with a raised eyebrow. 

The blue Teen gives him a dirty look before turning back to a frowning Riley. “Would you believe it was the car keys?”

There was a silent pause as Riley raised an eyebrow.

“ The oven mitts?” Scout tried again, shrugging her shoulders.

Riley narrowed her eyes before crossing her arms across her chest. 

“The throw pillows?” Scout said getting a little desperate to avoid the truth. 

This time Mortimer put down his newspaper before he and Riley both looked at Scout angrily.

“Nick?!” Scout said, throwing her hands up into the air.

“I AM IN THE BATHTUB!” Nick called from the bathroom down the hall.

Then it was at that moment that Rosco threw up on the carpet, the crumbled letter being in the middle of the mess. 

Scout sighed, defeated. “Okay fine you caught me” 

Making sure to stay clear of the vomited up chunks of dog food, Riley tediously picked up the letter by its corner. 

“What is this?” Riley asked, looking over the wet paper with disgust. 

Scout shrugged. “Oh you know it’s a…..taxes...I know you’ve been trying to evade them…” the blue haired teen said nervously. 

Riley gave Scout a disapproving look. “Tax season was two months ago and besides I always get them off my back early.” she said before gingerly taking hold of the other corner of the letter so she could read it. After a few moments, Riley lowered the letter and let out a long sigh through her nose.

“I’m not mad…….” Riley says quietly. 

Scout sighs, putting a hand to her chest in relief. “Oh wow okay I thought you’d be mad at me and-” 

Riley cut her off as her face turned scarlet red in rage. “Oh mad doesn’t BEGIN TO COME CLOSE TO IT! MY OWN DAUGHTER IS FAILING SCIENCE! WHERE DID I GO WRONG? It must have been because I let you go to soccer practice! One hit to the head with that soccer ball and “POOF!” you’re entire future is ruined!” she screeched, making Rosco sit up and howl at the ceiling. 

Mortimer sighed as he rubbed his temples with the tips of his fingers. “Calm yourself Riley.” he said in a low voice.

Riley stomped her foot in anger. “No this is an outrage! A scandal that is an insult to my image!” 

Mortimer lets out a long suffering sigh. “Riley you’re starting to sound like Nick” he said to the steaming woman. 

Riley turned to look at Mortimer with a look of shock on her face, gasping. “ How dare you compare me to that….that…..sorry sack of no talent nothing!” 

“You know this place has an echo right?!” Nick said, still listening to the conversation that was taking place downstairs

  
Riley looked up to face the direction that Nick's voice was coming from. “SHUT UP NICK YOU’RE NOT A PART OF THIS FAMILY MOMENT!” she screamed at the ceiling.

Scout rolls her eyes as Rosco begins to clean the carpet. “I don’t see what the big deal is, I don’t even like science!” she said, shrugging. 

Once again Riley let out a loud gasp before dramatically falling back onto the chair. “Oh the humanity!”

Sensing it was time to step in, Mortimer spoke up. “Scout it does not matter to me if you despise science or not-”

Riley Bolts upright in the chair and glares at Martimer. “What do you mean it doesn’t matter to you?! Were our wedding vows a lie?!” she said, her voice beginning to crack from the amount of yelling she’d been doing. 

Mortimer looks at her with a stern scowl. “Riley be quiet!” he snaps before turning back to Scout.

“Now scout, it does not matter if you like science or not, you are going to bring up that grade and do us proud so we can say that we have at least one successful daughter. But you are going to college as well so you need to have the best grades in all your classes.” Mortimer said sternly.   
  


Scout stood to her feet with a scowl. “Well what the heck do you expect me to turn in?! My final project is a psychological investigation project and that’s like the hardest thing ever! I can’t just throw on a mustache and a suit and call myself a therapist!” she said waving her hands in the air. 

Riley sits up from her position on the chair. “Well maybe you’ll just have to do that because we’re not housing a high school drop out!” she snapped. 

Scout’s eyes widened in shock. “You can’t be serious?!” 

Mortimer nods. “Well if there’s one thing I agree with your mother on this it’s that. Until you turn eighteen you will live here but as soon as you graduate you’re living on your own.” 

Riley nods as she crosses her arms across her chest. “If you graduate that is but if you don’t then we still aren’t going to house you.” 

Scout stomps her foot. “Well who the heck is interesting enough around here for me to analyze?!” 

At that moment all three of them hear a crash from the main stage area. “GOD DAMN IT! SHIT SHIT SHIT!! FUCK FUCK, CMON PEOPLE GET YOUR GOD DAMN HEAD INTO IT! GOD DAMN IT, RRRRAAAAAAAAAR!!!” Owen, the studio owner, shouted at the top of his lungs. Then there came the sound of a table flipping over along with more muffled yelling about how stupid people are, how he can’t take it anymore and one of these days one of these days, etc. 

They’re all silent as they stare at each other and they look back at the sound and then back at each other before the two elders switch their view onto the blue haired and give a small smile.

“Oh fuck me” 


	2. Rough Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Research is going to be harder than Scout thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go with a second chapter! Hope you all enjoyed the first and are excited for more!

The next day the sun was bright and people were walking through the studio, giving a cheery greeting every so often to the person they’d come across. However, everyone made sure to give Owen, the 5ft 5 man of unbridled rage, a wide range of space. In another part of the studio, Riley was adjusting something onto the front pocket of Scout’s overalls.

  
  


Scout sighed, rolling her eyes. “Remind me again why does it have to be Owen? It could've been anyone else!” Scout said, looking up with a pleading face. 

Riley ignored her though,already being angry enough at her for the failing grades. She wasn't going to deal with a whiny teen at the moment, no sir.

“Because you need that god damn grade Scout! And a normal soul wont do ya any good on that end, you gotta get a crazy bastard to make your project interesting and stand out so you won't be left at the back end!” Riley said with the confidence of a stage mom. 

Scout looked to the side as she huffed. “Then maybe I should have picked you” she said almost inaudibly through her teeth. 

Riley looked up at her from adjusting the thing in Scout’s pocket “ What did you say?” Riley asked. 

Scout panicked a bit before responding. “ Then why not Nick?” she said, quickly changing her sentence. 

  
  


Riley looked up in thought for a minute “You know… maybe that could work, but then again... it would be a disgrace to waste time on such a boring nobody. Plus I wouldn't want him anywhere near my gear. Oh! And speaking of gear…” Riley said as she straightened up from adjusting the object in Scout’s front pocket 

“You’re all set and you’d better get something good.”she said with a slight hint of anger in her voice. 

Scout sighed. “Remind me again what I’m supposed to be getting.” she said as Riley had a pleased smile on her face. 

“Well it’s a psychological study so try to get Owen to tell you something personal. Like how he feels about things, ya know? All the things about a regular person that pisses him off.” Riley says waving her hand in the air dismissively. 

Scout blows a stream of air out of her mouth in annoyance. “It won’t be that hard since he gets pissed off by everything.” 

Riley nods. “And just remember scout if he does begin to drone on then I have ear plugs you can borrow.” 

Scout frowns. “Why do you have earplugs?” 

Riley forces a tight smile and she waves her hand in the air. “Oh no reason, it's just that your father snores and he refuses to go to the doctor to have it checked out. Anyway you should probably get going.” she said, making a shooing motion with her hand. 

Scout nods as she stands and walks out of the office space dragging her feet the entire way. 

The studio was in a buzz as a new episode was being made and the deadline was approaching fast, so Scout had to avoid being run over by frantic cast members. She passed by the stage where Nick nack was currently yelling at the props department because they forgot to put out a new canvas for his bit later in the episode. Scout huffed in annoyance as she thought about her earlier statement about making Nick the focus of her project. After pushing a few more people out of her way and narrowly missing the coffee cart, Scout made it to Owen’s office space.

Scout takes a deep breath and then sighs before raising her hand and knocking at the door. Her knock was welcomed with a crash and a loud scream of swear words before the door was yanked open from the other side. The slightly red face of the studio boss greeted her, making Scout take a small step back to avoid being stabbed in the eye by Owen’s long nose. 

“What?” was the only word that the short man said, his tone being full of barely restrained rage. 

Scout braced herself before she found her voice. “Heeeey Owen, buddy old pal. How ya doin’?” she said with a fake enthusiasm, holding her hands up in mock surrender. 

Owen stared at her for a split second before he began to close the door in her face. 

“Wait wait don’t!” Scout said, panicking a little bit. 

“What do you want?” Owen growled as he reopened the door. 

Scout shifted on her feet nervously as she put her hands behind her back. “Oh ya know, just wanted to see how you were doin’. Anything new going on, any new opinions about current stuff? Or maybe a brief biography in no less than three paragraphs about your whole life?” 

Owen raised an eyebrow aggressively. “What are you, a newspaper? No, just….look if there’s somebody actively dying out there in need of help then come back and I may call an ambulance. But if not, THEN LEAVE ME ALONE!” he said before he slammed the door shut, making the pictures on the wall rattle. 

Scout sighs as she drops her shoulder in defeat. “Shit.” she muttered under her breath. 

Scout turned on her heel and stomped off, making her way to the break room where she sat down at one of the tables. Mortimer was there pouring himself a cup of coffee when he noticed Scout storming into the room. 

“Back so soon dear?” Mortimer asked as he poured a second cup of coffee. 

Scout groans loudly. “Dad, how can you even stand to be in the room with that guy for more than ten seconds?! It’s impossible, seriously you can’t even ask him what the weather is like without getting your head bitten off!” she said waving her hands in the air. 

Mortimer carries two cups of coffee over to the table before he sits down next to scout, handing her a cup. “Well Scout, he’s a very….what’s the word for it….complex man. You have to, um…..” 

Mortimer paused trying to find the right words to explain to his daughter how one would talk to a man who finds his answers at the bottom of a bottle. 

“Well he’s had a hard life is all that I can tell you, Scout.” Mortimer said, putting a comforting hand on Scout’s shoulder. 

Scout sighed and propped her head up in her hand. “Well so did Jesus but he had a ton of friends.” she said waving her hand in the air. 

Mortimer frowns, confused. He’s about to say something about how Scout needs to use better references, but he takes a sip of coffee instead. 

The silence was broken by the all too familiar, nasally voice of Riley as she stormed through the hallway and into the break room. 

“Riley, what the hell are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be recording? Scout snapped, throwing her hand up into the air. 

Riley sighs, with a look of annoyance on her face. “Well I was until I got a sniff of laziness from a certain someone!” she snapped at the blue haired teen. 

Scout groaned loudly as she sat up in the chair. “Riley, c’mon I’m not good at gathering data so I may as well take the ‘F’.” she says and Riley shook her head. 

“Not on my watch you’re not missy! You’re going to get out there right now and persuade that fucking hermit to open up to you and get his pathetic ass to speak so you can get an ‘A’ and go to college!” Riley shouted, pointing a finger to the door. 

Scout lets out a long, exasperated groan. “I hate this soooooooo muuuuuch!” she said, getting up as slow as possible from the chair and slowly dragging herself out of the room.


	3. An Unexpected Opportunity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A glimpse into Owen's past courtesy of Daisy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are today! Hope you all enjoyed the first two chapter because here we start getting into the meat of the story and fair warning there is drinking in this chapter and the next so wanted to warn you right here. Also this one is pretty short before the big one.

After multiple attempts to gain the man’s attention, Scout had given up on Owen. 

The blue haired teen plopped down into a break room armchair with a sigh, propping her feet up onto the coffee table. Scout closes her eyes to try and forget about her stressful day when she hears the tell tale sound of heels clicking on the linoleum floor. 

“Scout? Is everything alright dearie?” said a voice that was filled with honey and sugar. 

Scout opened her eyes and she saw Daisy, who was standing over the blue haired teen with a look of concern in her wide blue eyes. 

“Are ya alright sweet pea? What’s got ya so glum?” Daisy asked, tilting her head slightly to the side as she took a seat in the chair next to Scout.

Scout sighed as she sat up before turning to look at the blonde belle. “I’m fine, it’s just that I’m trying to get Owen to talk to me but every time I think he is, he just ends up yelling at me to go away!” she said, rolling her eyes. 

Daisy nodded as she shifted in the seat. “Oooh I see. Well he’s a special kinda fella who likes bein’ all by his lonesome, ever since……” Daisy paused in her sentence which made Scout raise an eyebrow. 

“Ever since what?” Scout asked as she leaned a little closer. 

Daisy hummed not making eye contact with Scout. “Well, back in the day before you were even a thought, Owen had this lady friend. Now you know I’m not one to speak ill of people but this woman…...she was something fierce. Like a viper hidin’ in a field of flowers.” Daisy explained with a far off look in her eyes. 

Scout moved a bit closer, her heart starting to beat a bit faster. “So….he’s mad because he got cock blocked?” 

Daisy scoffs and gently smacks Scout on the shoulder. “Oh for goodness sakes honey, you’ve been lollygagging around that television set too much! All I can say is that there are some things that a man is entitled to keep private. Don’t go poking your nose around in other people’s business sweetie, because that’s how you lose a friend.” 

Scout lays back in the chair, thinking to herself. ‘Damn it, now Riley’s never going to let this go. There has to be some way to get Owen to talk.’ 

Daisy was about to leave but she paused before turning back to Scout. “Well honey suckle, I’d sure love to talk more but I have to get goin’ ” she said, standing up from the chair and smoothing her skirt before walking to the door.

Daisy was halfway out the door before she jumped back in shock as Owen sumbled past the room, clutching a bottle of whiskey in his hand. 

“Lord have mercy! That man is a booze hound if I’ve ever seen one!” Daisy exclaimed to herself, before hurrying out of the room as fast as her heels could carry her. 

Scout jumps to her feet and runs to the doorway as Owen reaches his office and slams the door behind him. Figuring that since Owen was drunk, Scout decided it would be the perfect opportunity to get some answers. Creeping across the shadowed stage floor, Scout went up to the door and once again knocked.


	4. Breaking the Glass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scout finally gets her answers but only at the cost of tricking a depressed soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are at the point where it's gonna get a little depressing but the show must go on so buckle in!

Scout expected to hear the cracked voice of the studio owner telling her to leave him alone for the hundredth time that day, but instead she heard a broken whimper. 

There was some shuffling within the room before Scout heard his voice. “Go away…..please…” 

Bracing herself for the worst, Scout gripped the doorknob in her hand and she slowly turned it until the door opened. She peered into the office space and had to do a double take. Scout had expected the office to be just like Owen, messy and unorganized, but instead it was well kept. Papers and blueprints were neatly tacked to the wall of a corkboard, books were all shelved neatly, and there was a faint smell of cigarette smoke and incense. Sitting at the polished desk was Owen, with a cigarette in one hand, his head on the desk, and the bottle of whiskey sitting two inches from an already overflowing glass. 

Scout went into the room, walking towards Owen like one would approach a wounded animal. “O-owen…...are you dying or something?” she said, letting the door swing slightly closed behind her. 

There was no answer for a moment and Scout had a fleeting thought that maybe he was dead but then there came a sniffle. 

“No…...waddya want?” Owen slurred, still keeping his head down. 

Scout let out a relieved sigh to herself before she walked closer. “Sorry it’s just….I didn;t want to be the one to tell everyone that, ya know died or something. But I just heard you come in and…..” 

The blue teen found herself at a loss for words, having not dealt with a situation such as this before. Everyone knew that Owen was depressed but nobody had ever seen him this way, hunched over his desk and drunk. A moment of silence passes before Owen sighs, slowly sitting up before turning to face Scout. The light in the room cast a shadow over the man’s face, giving his eyes a sunken in look and elongating the frown he wore. 

“What? You come to make fun of me too?” Owen growled. He took a drag from his cigarette which caused him to lose sight of the glass in his hand, which slowly slipped from his fingers and fell to the floor. 

The shattering of glass filled the small office which caused Owen to jump and look down at the mess of whiskey and broken glass on the floor. Scout heard him groan and quietly curse under his breath, before grabbing a rag off of his desk and sliding out of his chair. Owen stumbled, falling to his hands and knees in front of the mess before he began to try and clean it up. Scout stood there awkwardly, feeling a little scared at how Owen was acting and a bit of pity for the man as she saw how red his face had gotten. 

“Owen you aren’t going to clean it up like that. Hold on let me….” Scout walks closer reaching out but Owen waves her off with a hand, which causes his other arm to buckle nearly shoving his face into the glass shards. 

“Mm’ fine….I can do it myself...alone...nobody else….” Owen mumbled, struggling to get back to his previous position. 

Scout sighed before she got down beside him and pulled Owen up so he was sitting back on his knees. She took the rag from him before beginning to clean up the spilt liquor, moving glass shards into a small pile to sweep up later. Owen didn’t even say a word of thanks, just laid his arm on the seat of the chair to keep some sort of balance. 

“Waddya want?” Owen mumbled, laying his head on his upper arm as Scout finished cleaning the spill. 

Scout gathers her patience before speaking. “I’m trying to help. Keep you from hurting yourself. I mean….look at yourself! What’s going on with you man?!” scout said, grabbing Owen by the arm and pulling him to his feet. Owen groaned as he pushed Scout’s hand off of him before falling back onto the couch that he sometimes slept on in his office. 

“It’s nothin’.......ya just a kid….can’t understand anything…besides, why would ya even want to know? Shouldn’t ya be calling boys or goin’ to the mall or something?” Owen slurred as he rubbed his eyes with his fingers. 

Scout lets her shoulders drop as she sighs, putting her hands on her hips. “Really? That’s the best ya got?” she quipped sarcastically. 

Owen looks at her and shrugs. “What? Isn’t that what you stupid teens do these days?” he mumbles, holding his hands up in a clueless manner. 

Scout rolls her eyes before pushing Owen down the couch so she could have room to sit down. “Not this teen, I have standards. I’m not a stupid bimbo like those stuck up pretty girls you see on tv. Especially that one red haired tv host, she’s really annoying.” Scout said as she sat down, but then she heard another whimper. 

Scout turned to Owen with a frown. “You…..alright?” she asked. 

Owen had turned away from Scout, putting his face in his hands and his head between his knees. 

Scout sighs. “You’re not gonna throw up are you?” she said inching away a little bit. 

  
  
  


Owen shook his head. “No…..just….answer my question….why you here?” 

Scout suddenly remembered that she had never taken off the microphone and little recorder that Riley had put in the front pocket of her overalls. She thought about turning it off, seeing as this might be a rather personal subject, but wanting to avoid the wrath of the red haired scientist, Scout moved a bit closer to Owen so she could get a better recording of his voice. 

“I wanted to see if you were okay? To see if you were feeling alright because lately you’ve been really upset about something.” Scout said, making sure that her words would get his attention. 

Owen was quiet but he peeked out from in between his fingers at her. Seeing this small act, Scout continued. 

“I mean I understand that it’s stressful to run a show that everyone, including me, loves but I don’t understand how you can’t be happy with all that you’ve accomplished.” Scout said cautiously, like Owen was a street cat she didn’t want to startle.

Owen slowly sat up, revealing his slightly red and puffy eyes that gave away the fact he had been crying. “You….think I’ve accomplished stuff?” he said hesitantly. 

Scout could tell that Owen was hesitant to trust anything that she had just said but the blue haired teen took it a small step further, not wanting to spook the cat. 

“Of course I think that! I think that you have something really special here and it takes a lot of hard work to keep it going but I feel like you can do it! I kind of….ya know see you as a role model almost.” Scout said with a small smile. 

Owen paused as the edges of his mouth twitched slightly, insinuating that he wanted to smile but not just yet. “You….see me as someone people could admire?” 

Scout knew that she was treading shark infested waters with what she was doing but instead of giving up and tossing it in, the blue haired teen brought it all home. 

“I think you’re someone people could see as a friend.” 

Owen’s eyes widened as they grew a bit misty with tears and he looked stunned from scout’s words. The man turned away from Scout, looked down at his hands, and was quiet for some time. Fearing she might have broken him somehow, Scout reached out a hand to touch his shoulder. “You…...okay? Hello?” scout said, gently shaking the man’s shoulder.

He didn’t budge however, just keeping a stunned expression on his face as he stared at the floor. Scout slowly got to her feet before she began to walk to the door. 

“So I’m just gonna…...go now and uh….yeah, feel better man.” Scout says, turning to leave but then she’s stopped by Owen’s voice. 

“Thank you.” he said, his voice a bit clearer than it had been before. 

  
  


Scout nodded as she left the room, gently closing the door behind her with a click.


	5. Guilty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is it wrong to want to please a parent even at the cost of being sneaky?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone what's up? Back with another chapter and I recently got asked some questions by a person who went to my co-writer and asked them to transfer the message to me, so here is my answer:   
> This is an au where the puppets are human and they live in the studio. The upper part of the studio has been converted into a living space with different bedrooms for the main cast, as well as Owen having an apartment for himself. In this au when Owen bought the studio he ran out of money so he basically made a home for himself in the studio since he couldn't afford an apartment. He got used to the idea and things just kind of stayed that way.   
> Also in this au, it's possible for the puppets to change from human to puppet with the help of different potions that Owen has made so they can still be their puppet characters for the show. The reason they don't leave the studio a lot and live there is because they can't be recognized as humans because then people would find out about the magic going on. If they absolutely have to leave the studio they wear a disguise.  
>  The reason that Scout hasn't gotten found out is because she hasn't appeared in any of the episodes as a puppet, just a normal teen.   
> Also the whole high school and mail thing has come up so the answer to that is that Riley and Mortimer pose as Owen's relatives and Scout says she's Owen's niece. The reason that they all live together is because the tv show is a "family company".   
> It's an au that has a lot of twists and turns and a lot is open to interpretation but this whole thing just works in this universe.   
> Now since that's out of the way let's continue on!

Scout headed back to find Riley so she could remove the microphone and get the recording, but something felt… wrong. 

Scout had an odd feeling in her chest that begged the question ‘shouldn't she feel good she had finally cracked the guy? Finally she had gained some information for her project but at what cost? To get her a good grade to put her on the path to graduate? Make  _ mom _ proud? 

Why didn't she feel satisfied? 

Lost in thought she didn’t pay attention to where she was walking and suddenly bumped into a large figure. Scout stumbled back a bit and looked up to be met with the brown eyes of one of the puppeteers, Jake. He had been the one who had voiced Nick Nack when they had still been puppets, but now his role was more akin to writing the script and building sets for the show. He was a tall, towering man with a beard and tan skin who wore a red collared shirt along with tan slacks. 

“Easy there kiddo. Where’s the fire?” Jake said, his voice deep with a tint of a mexican accent. 

Scout shrugged. “Just on my way to see Riley with something for a…..school project.” she said, putting her hands behind her back. 

Jake nods but he frowns. “Well what are you doing poking around here after hours? Not really that safe to be here if it’s dark, ya know?” he said, raising an eyebrow. 

Scout nods as she rocks back and forth on the heels of her shoes. “Yeah I know and absolutely nothing is going on! Just uh…...practicing my swing ya know? For the uh...big episode….with baseball…” she said, hoping that Jake would buy her lie.

Jake looked at her for a moment before he slowly nodded. “Right.” 

Jake walked by her before turning to look at Scout once more, narrowing his eyes. “Suuuuuure.” he said before slowly walking off and disappearing around the corner. 

Scout let out a breath she had been holding in before turning and rushing down the hall to Riley’s office. The scientist was currently looking over the script that Jake had dropped off earlier in the night as Scout walked into the room. 

“Would you look at this? What kind of idiot would write a script like this, I mean they want me to do a scene with Nick? I may as well just pack up and move to Europe where I can be a respected scientist without the berating of this dysfunctional family! Oh, hi Scout what do you have for me honey?” Riley said, putting the script down and smiling at the blue haired teen. 

Scout paused for a moment before speaking. “Right, uh….I got some footage of Owen talking to me a little bit. He was kinda drunk but I did earn his trust a little, I guess.” she said, scratching the back of her head as she looked to the side. 

Riley immediately perked up. “Oh that’s wonderful Scout! It’s a small step but if you gain his trust then we can get even juicer….I mean some highly valuable data! So I’ll give you a new tape and take the one you have off your hands to put away for your project.” the scientist said, holding out her hand expectantly. 

Scout paused as she looked at Riley’s outstretched hand, contemplating the right choice to make. On one hand Scout knew that she needed to get a good grade on this project or she’d get kicked out of the house, but on the other hand it felt wrong to be recording Owen without his knowledge. 

Riley frowns. “Well? Are you going to hand it over Scout? It will be the defining factor in how the rest of your life will go.” she said, making a ‘give’ motion with her hand. 

Taking one last look at Riley’s hand, Scout sighed before reaching into the front pocket of her overalls and pulling out the recorder. She pressed it into Riley’s hand and the red head took the tape out of the recorder before pocketing it. 

“Good work Scout, now go and get some rest dear. Tomorrow we can continue to gather more data.” Riley said with a small smirk before she turned to her desk. 

Scout didn’t say anything as she turned and walked out of the office, walking up the stairs to her bedroom. She opened the door, closed it behind her, then placed her back against it before sliding down to sit on the floor. 

Scout dragged her hands down her face, groaning loudly. “What have I gotten myself into?” 

The blue haired teen stood up from her spot on the floor before going over to her bed and flopping down onto it face first. 

The next morning Scout was woken up by somebody shaking her by the shoulder and screeching close to her ear. 

“SCOUT AMELIA HANDEE! Get up this instant, you should have been up two hours ago but instead you’re wasting time sleeping!” Riley exclaimed as Scout slowly sat up on her bed. 

“Well so-orry I was sleeping like a normal person, not like your coffee addicted ass.” Scout snapped back, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. 

Riley sighs loudly before shoving the recording equipment at Scout. “I don’t have time to yell at you so take your tools and go get more data!” the scientist said before storming out of the room. 

Scout held up a middle finger at the door before tucking the recorder into the front pocket of her overalls and making sure it was secure before she left the room. There was the smell of freshly brewed coffee along with donuts coming from the break room so Scout knew that Owen would be close by, seeing as he never skipped out on donut day. Scout walked up to the break room and upon seeing Owen absent from the room but seeing the box of donuts gone, the blue haired teen knew that he was in his office. Scout turned to leave and while she was walking away another employee walked into the break room and she heard him shout “WHO TOOK THE DONUTS?! THEY WERE HERE LIKE FIVE MINUTES AGO!”

Scout walked past the stage where Nick was once again complaining about not having the right paints set out before she reached Owen’s office door. Scout made sure that the recorder was turned on before taking a deep breath, raising her hand up to knock at the door, but her chest started wriggling with that feeling she had last night. Scout lowered her hand slightly but after hearing Riley’s words from last night echo in her head, the blue haired teen swallowed the feeling and knocked on the door. 


	6. The Man Behind the Scene

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get a glimpse into a memory from Owen's past and discover a plainly obvious secret. XD

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all liked the last chapter because we have more! Again I'd like to thank toyboxworker on tumblr for writing this story with me and it's been so much fun working with you! :D

Scout expected a loud voice to tell her to leave immediately but she was surprised when Owen spoke in a normal, non yelling voice. 

“Come in, whoever it is.” 

Scout raised an eyebrow before opening the door to see Owen sitting at his desk looking over the script over a dim lighted desk lamp for that morning’s taping, cup of coffee sitting beside his arm while he held a donut in his hand. The man turned in his seat and upon seeing Scout, he didn’t smile but he didn’t seem to be angry about her being there. 

“Hey, waddya need?” Owen said motioning for Scout to come into the office space. 

The blue haired teen walked in and she moved to turn on the light but Owen stopped her. 

“Don’t turn on the light I uh...I’m kind of hung over from last night.” he said, rubbing his eyes with his other hand. 

Scout chuckles. “That’s an understatement because I thought you were dead when I walked in here last night.” she said, crossing her arms across her chest. 

Owen sighed. “Listen, about what I said last night and being all drunk….you didn’t tell anyone did you?” he said looking up at the blue haired teen with a frown. 

Scout froze and panic set in as she racked her brain for an answer. “No! Oh no no….of course not, I mean I’m not one of those people who gossips about someone’s private life!” she said, shrugging her shoulders. 

Owen paused for a moment before he nodded and shook his head. “Sorry, it’s just….I don’t really talk to people often and I’m….a little paranoid about being social.” he said. 

Scout nodded, thinking to herself that she should just quit while she’s ahead but pushed the thought out of her head. 

“Hey so um... I wanted to catch your attention yesterday because I'm kinda doing this project for school where I have to ask a business owner how they got started and all of that stuff because…..we’re learning on how to be good entrepreneurs! I was hoping I could ask you a few things since, ya know you have your own show and stuff.” Scout said as she walked a little closer before sitting in a chair next Owen’s desk. 

Owen put down his mug after taking a sip of coffee and he thought for a moment before answering with a shrug. “Sure, if it’s for a school project I don’t see why not. But shouldn’t you have a pencil and paper to write down what I’m saying?” 

Scout had a mini heart attack before she hastily answered. “Nah I’m okay, I’ve got a good memory so I can write it down later.” she said waving her hand in the air. 

Owen raised an eyebrow. “Well….alright I guess. So it was about 1971 and I had just bought the studio….”

**_Flashback sequence….._ **

**_Owen sighed as he set down the last box onto the work bench before he stretched, cracking his back in the process. He turned around and crossed his arms over his chest before looking up at the rafters of the studio with a smile. So many ideas of what he could do to make his dream come alive flooded his brain but many of them required money. Not much of the inheritance his uncle had given him was left so he would need to-_ **

“Wait, you have family? I thought you were a runaway or something?” Scout said, interrupting the story.  ****

Owen sighed, rolling his eyes. “No I had a family, my uncle and aunt took care of me until I left home at sixteen to go be with…..” 

Owen paused. “Never mind that. Now where was I? Oh yeah, so I had just bought the studio and I needed to assemble a crew so I put an ad in the paper.” 

**_Flashback sequence…._ **

**_Owen sighed as he looked through the few applications on his desk from the people who had replied to his advertisement. Some of them were teenagers looking to get some “showbiz” experience while two were from a mime down on his luck._ **

**_Owen leaned back in his chair, dragging his hands down his face before staring at the ceiling. “Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe my aunt was right, I should have gone to college and gotten a degree in something lame like accounting.” he said to himself, closing his eyes._ **

**_Suddenly he heard a door to the studio open and then shut close as a voice called out to the empty building. “_ ** **_¿Hola? ¿Alguien aquí? I’m here about the ad you put in the newspaper for a set builder!”_ **

**_Owen moved to get up from the chair but instead he tipped it too far back and fell out of the chair and onto the floor. He groaned, rubbing his head as he heard footsteps rushing over to him._ **

**_“Ay mijo! ¿Estas bien? You alright?” the voice said and Owen opened his eyes to be greeted with two feet dressed in sneakers that had seen better days._ **

**_Owen looked up and saw a man who was as large as he was tall, most likely a strapping six foot seven. He was dressed in a faded green sweater with a white collared shirt underneath and tan khakis, with dark brown hair pulled back into a ponytail and deep brown eyes to match._ **

**_Owen gulped as he felt a small blush creep onto his face but he scrambled to his feet and stood up, reaching out to shake the other man’s hand._ **

**_“Y-yeah...I’m okay and uh..yes I’m the one who posted the ad in the newspaper for a uh...set builder. I’m Owen Gubberson.”_ **

**_The other man raised an eyebrow but cracked a small smile before taking hold of Owen’s hand and shaking it. “Just call me Jake.”_ **

“Wait…..so you….oh my god…..oh….my...GOD! Do you like Jake?!” Scout exclaimed and Owen became wide eyed as he frantically waved his hands in front of him. 

“SHHHH! Scout be quiet! No, no, I mean uh...we’re uh...he’s my employee and I’m his boss and we have a work relationship… I mean not like a “relationship relationship” we wouldn’t want that...I mean not that I wouldn’t want that but but...uh I uh...we’re just friends.” Owen spluttered as his face went from pale, to cherry red, then back to a light pink tint to his cheeks.

Scout smirked knowingly. “Riiiight.” she said sitting back in the chair. 

Owen cleared his throat, pulling on the collar of his shirt. “So uh, anyway I had hired Jake and found that he wasn’t just a good set builder but he could also do impressions. After I had spent some time drawing the designs for Riley and Nick Nack, I asked Jake if he could do an impression to match Nick nack’s personality. I showed him the drawing and he did it perfectly the first time! After that it was only a matter of finishing the designs, hiring more people, and raising enough money with small gigs to get the equipment needed for producing.” he said with a small smile as he looked back on the memory fondly. 

Scout nodded before she leaned forward a little bit. “I also wanted to ask what gave you the idea for the show in the first place?” 

Owen paused and he was about to answer her when there was a knock on the frame of the door. They both looked to see it was Jake standing in the office doorway, holding a cup of coffee with the script tucked under his arm. 

“Owen the stage crew needs your help. Nick Nack has lost his temper again and this time he threw a canvas into the rafters and broke a few lights.” Jake said, jerking his thumb in the direction of the stage. 

Owen groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “Alright, I’m coming.” he said before standing up from his chair as Jake nodded and walked off. 

Scout smirks. “Mm-hm, a likely story.” she said loud enough for Owen to hear. 

The man froze before shooting a glare at Scout, his cheeks tinting red in embarrassment from her statement. “We’re just friends, nothing more!” he growled. 

Owen walked away but it was plainly obvious he was trying to shake off his flustered state as he wiped his palms on his jeans, mumbling to himself. Scout chuckled before she reached into the front pocket of her overalls and pressed ‘stop’ on the tape recorder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If ya'll didn't notice my otp is Owen x Jake XD   
> Good night everyone and leave a nice comment below if you want :3


	7. Lady in Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Owen gets hot headed and Scout finds a clue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally I am back!!!! I'm SO SORRY for the long absence for this story but I've been really busy with my tumblr audience and real life stuff. But I'm here now and really devoted to this fandom once again, so let's go!  
> And thanks again to toyboxworker on tumblr for all of their help making this story great! ;)

The stage was a mess of people who were trying to pick up the shattered remains of the broken lights, while the other members of staff were trying to get Nick to come out of his dressing room. Owen sighed as he walked over to stand underneath the high rise above the stage, looking up to see the technician Jerry with his toolbox. 

“What’s the story up there Jerry? It better be good news or you’re all gonna be dealing with an angry director for the rest of the day!” Owen shouted up to Jerry, putting his hands on his hips.

Jerry rolled his eyes. “Yeah whatever, ya god damn man child.” he muttered, opening his toolbox. 

“WHAT?!” Owen shouted up at Jerry, who jumped and rolled his eyes. 

“It doesn’t look too bad boss,just needs a new bulb and glass cover! It should be up and running by the time we’re ready to shoot the afternoon scene in the lab!” Jerry shouted back down. 

Owen sputtered, throwing his hands in the air. “THE AFTERNOON?! We don’t have time to wait around for that since we’re already two hours behind schedule! We have a posted schedule on the got damn cork board AND on every chalkboard in the whole building! Why have a schedule if you’re just gonna blow it off and do things at your own pace?!” Owen ranted, his face turning red from yelling as he rapidly paced back and forth on the stage. 

Then a heavy hand plopped itself onto the smaller man’s shoulder, halting him in his tracks and making him teeter a little on his feet. 

“Owen,  _ ca`lmate _ ! It’s not doing you any good yelling at people for doing their job, even if they need to take it slow.” Jake said, firmly keeping Owen in place. 

The smaller man inhaled deeply then exhaled through his nose, the feeling of Jake’s hand on his shoulder bringing him a sense of peace. There was another feeling that Owen had from the contact, but this feeling originated in his chest which spread to his belly. 

“Th-thank you Jake for saying that. I was getting a little too worked up I guess and I’m sorry. I’m sorry too Jerry!” Owen said before calling up to the technician in the rafters. 

“WHAT?!” Jerry called back down, making Owen sigh defeated. 

Meanwhile, Scout had been fiddling with the tape recorder in the front pocket of her overalls when it slipped from her hands. It fell to the floor and slid underneath the futon that was in the office, making Scout curse under her breath. The teen got on her hands and knees before crawling over to the futon and sticking her arm underneath it, sliding her hand around on the cold concrete floor. 

Then her hand bumped against something that she figured was the tape recorder, so she pulled it out from underneath the futon. But instead of finding what she had dropped, Scout pulled out a shoebox with the words ‘July 1965’ written on them. Scout raised her eyebrows before looking around to make sure nobody was going to sneak up behind her, before opening the box. 

Within the box there were a few polaroids with dried flowers and costume jewelry, along with what looked like a folded up piece of red cloth. Scout pulled the cloth out and when she unfolded it, she realized it had once been the skirt of a dress. Setting that down next to her, Scout rifled around in the box some more, pulling out necklaces, earrings, and even an old lipstick tube. Then she picked up one of the polaroids and raised her eyebrows when she saw the subject. 

The photo was of a beautiful brown haired woman with deep blue eyes, ruby red lips, and flawless skin. She wore a lovely red sundress, a string of pearls, and a white floppy sun hat that completed the outfit. She was sitting on the beach with her toes in the sand and a big smile on her face as the picture was taken, her eyes glittering in the dim sunlight. Scout turned the photo over to see the words ‘Day at the beach with Sophie, 1964’ written on the back.

Scout was pulled from the image of the lovely woman by the sound of the coffee cart being run into, then Owen cursing loudly. The teen hurriedly put all of the items back into the box before closing it up and pushing it back underneath the futon. Then she saw the tape recorder and snatched it back before shoving it into her pocket, then scrambling to her feet just as Owen stormed over to the doorway to his office. 

“Of all the lousy, no good, lazy pieces of- oh, hi Scout. What are you still doing here, I thought you’d be getting ready for your part in the show?” Owen said while using a napkin to wipe coffee off of his orange shirt. 

Scout panicked for a moment before shrugging nonchalantly. “Oh ya know, I was just waiting here to uh...ask if you wanted to talk a little more later today? My project is due by tomorrow so I really need to get more info before I turn it in.” Scout said, rocking back and forth on the heels of her shoes. 

Owen frowned. “But, tomorrow’s Saturday.” he said, raising an eyebrow while squinting his eyes in suspicion. 

Scout’s brain started to send signals to her mouth to confess, spill the beans, sing like a canary, do something to save this man the humiliation that will befall him if those tapes are released to Riley. 

“Yeah it is, which is why I’m going to turn it in early in the morning like my teacher said so she can look it over during the weekend and give me a grade on it Monday….after I present it to the class….which was the whole plan from the start!” Scout said, knowing full well that Owen can’t be so dim as to not see the holes in her story. 

Owen paused for a moment, his face still the same as he mulled over the situation at hand. “Do-kay then…...carry on, I guess.” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. 

Damn it. 

Scout nodded as she slowly walked towards the door, sliding past Owen while trying not to make eye contact lest the man notice the deceit in her eyes.”Sooooo, I’ll see you later then so we can talk some more, okay? Okay, buh bye!” the teen said, before turning tail and running right past Jake before sprinting down the hall. 

The tan skinned man raised an eyebrow, then looked at Owen. “Uuuuuh….” Jake said, pointing his thumb in the direction that Scout had run. 

Owen rolled his eyes, sighing. “Don’t look so surprised. You’ve got a niece who’s a teenager so you know how flighty they are around adults, just cause we don’t get their music or who has the cooler jeans and all that crap.” Owen said, waving his hand in the air. 

Jake chuckles shaking his head at the man’s words. “ _Hombre tonto_.” Jake said under his breath, making Owen raise an eyebrow. 

“What did you say Jake?” Owen asked, starting to blot the coffee on his shirt with the napkin from earlier. 

Jake waved his hand. “Nothing, but do you have time to get lunch today? There’s something I feel like you should know.” the man said, leaning on the doorframe. 

Owen froze for a moment, as the thought of Jake technically asking him on a lunch date went through his mind. 

‘Oweeeen, take it easy there. Act all chill about this and don’t say anything weird.’ the man thought to himself before taking a deep breath and turning to face Jake.

“S-sure! I uh..I mean..yeah man that sounds cool, ya know?” Owen said, shrugging nonchalantly as his heart pounded in his chest. 

‘Nailed it.’ Owen thought to himself as Jake nodded. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nice save there Owen XD   
> But what is this lunch all about and who was that radiant beauty?


	8. The Tales We Tell Ourselves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scout goes on a small quest of her own while Owen is confided in by Jake, who reveals something deep to the other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally back with a new chapter and I apologize for the absence because I got a new job and it's been busy as of late. But I want to thank everyone who has stayed with the story for this long and I also want to thank my co-writer Fetus who is a wonderful friend and did most of the editing for this chapter.

Scout panted as she rounded the corner before peeking around the wall to see if Owen and Jake were still there. Seeing that they had left, the blue haired teen sighed before walking towards Riley’s lab. She saw people on the main stage setting up again for Nick’s scene, which indicated he had calmed down from the tantrum he had treated the whole cast to. Scout rolled her eyes when she passed him and the painter was muttering his mantra of ‘I bring the party to the group’ over and over again.    
  
Scout reached Riley’s lab and looked in to see the red haired scientist mulling over the script once again, twirling a red pen in her hand.    
  
“Hey Riley, I got another tape for you.” Scout said, walking in as her voice made the red haired woman jump slightly from surprise. 

“Oh, good. What did you get this time from that donut munching hermit?” Riley asked, putting down the script. Scout could see that Riley had used the red pen to circle several things and make small notes beside the parts.    
  
Scout put her hand on the tape in her pocket and hesitated. “I uh…..I didn’t really get anything interesting, just a few things about the weather is all. Been pretty rainy lately and we were talking about that so it wouldn’t really be all that interesting to put into my project.” Scout said, her heart pounding as she hoped that Riley would buy the ridiculous lie she had just woven.    
  
Riley narrowed her eyes while her lips curled into a deep frown. “Scout, that is without a doubt the worst attempt at lying I have ever heard. You’ve had some real doozies but that one probably takes the cake, like that time you lied about a ghost in a green dress haunting the bathroom.” Riley said, crossing her arms across her chest.    
  
Scout rolled her eyes. “I TOLD you that it wasn’t a sugar induced dream and that she really did almost touch my face, with her creepy grey skeleton fingers!” Scout said, waving her hands in front of her face.    
  
Riley held out her open palm. “Come one, hand over the tape.” she said firmly.    
  
Scout hesitated once again, her hand slowly gripping the tape recorder tighter. Then a thought crossed her mind, the picture of that woman named Sierra. If that picture was taken back before the studio started and Owen knew the woman, then surely the others must have met her or at least heard Owen talk about her. 

“Okay, I’ll give you the tape but in exchange for it I want you to tell me something.” Scout said, making Riley raise one eyebrow.    
  
Scout took a deep breath before exhaling and blurting out her question. “What do you know about a woman named Sierra?” the blue haired teen said.    
  
The frown suddenly dropped from Riley’s face as her eyes widened slightly. It seemed that the red haired woman had been stumped by what Scout had said, her voice coming out as a stutter.    
  
“I….I….Scout….you need to go. RIGHT NOW.” Riley said, gritting her teeth at the last two words.    
  
Scout was about to protest but then Riley braced her hands on the tabletop, her eyes flashing with barely contained anger. “I said NOW Scout!” the red head snapped, her teeth gnashing.    
  
Scout gulped before she fled the room, a small part of her being glad that she still had the tape. The blue haired teen rounded the corner before colliding into another person who smelled heavily of honey suckles and apples. Scout stumbled backwards a little bit before looking up and seeing that she had run into Daisy.    
  
“Oh I’m sorry sugar plum! I was just carryin’ these boxes to the stage to help out with Nick’s bit and sorta got turned around.” Daisy said, picking up the boxes that she had dropped onto the floor.    
  
“Oh uh let me help.” Scout said, picking up a few boxes before she and Daisy walked to the stage. When they got there Nick was getting ready for his scene and Scout put down the boxes with Daisy walking behind.    
  
“Um Daisy?” Scout asked. The southern belle turned her view to look at the teen. “There’s kinda something I wanted to ask you because Riley won’t tell me...” Scout continued   
  
“Oh? Well i can’t promise ya’ anythin’, but ask away!” Daisy said, walking towards her.   
  
“Who’s Sierra?” Scout asked and upon hearing the question, Daisy dropped the boxes.

“Oh, well um…..sweetie pie, I really shouldn’t be tellin’ you things that are a private matter. However, if you really wanna know the answer to that question perhaps you should go talk to your daddy.” Daisy said, nodding to Mortimer who was currently talking to the director.    
  
Scout sighed, getting tired of jumping from person to person before she nodded and walked over to Mortimer.   
  
“Dad” Scout called to him, standing behind him impatiently, her arms crossed “Dad Dad Daaaad… father dearest”   
  
Mortimer eye twitched, excusing himself to the director before turning himself around to view the impatient blue haired teen with a scowling look on his face.   
  
“Scout, do you not see I was having a conversation?” He said angrily, his frown not changing an inch “I hope you know that it is quite rude to interrupt as such!” he said angrily 

“Sorry dad” Scout said, looking down at her feet “It's just- I wanted to ask you something and please be honest with me... Do you know anything about a woman named Sierra?” 

  
Mortimer looked surprised, before clearing his throat and looking Scout in the eyes. “If you wish to find an answer to your question my dear, you must talk to Owen himself. He is the only one who can be completely honest with you, but please be respectful about it. A man has a right to keep things private and sharing with another could really damage his self esteem.” Mortimer said, before walking off.    
  
Scout grit her teeth and groaned loudly, letting her head fall back as the director called for everyone to be quiet on set. 

On the other side of town in a greasy spoon diner, Owen and Jake sat in a booth together as a cute waitress in a pink uniform wrote down their food order. The waitress smiled, gave a wink to Owen, then she flounced off to tell the cook their order.

Jake chuckled. “Looks like you have a fan.” he said to Owen, who lit a cigarette with a slightly flushed face. 

The dark haired man exhaled a cloud of smoke, rolling his eyes. “She’s too tall and also a little young. Not really looking to date anyone anyway, too focused on the show right now since that investor wants to add another season.” Owen said as he knocked the end of the cigarette, flicking the ash into the cheap ashtray that sat next to the sugar. 

Jake nodded with a sigh. “ _ Ah si, senor` gran jefe. _ That mishap with Nick is probably going to set the day back a few hours at least, so I hope Cameron understands if this episode is recorded a little late. That’s why I wanted you to take an early lunch break, especially after the way you bit Jerry’s head off. I haven’t seen you that angry in a while.” Jake said, shrugging. 

Owen sighed out a cloud of smoke. “I know and I’ve been trying to….you know, breathe a little and calm down but this whole deadline is killing me. I haven’t been sleeping well either and when I do sleep it’s only for a few hours.” he said, rubbing his eyes with his fingertips. 

Jake frowned. “Have you been having night terrors?” he asked, as the waitress came back with their food orders. 

She put down the burger platter in front of Owen and the fried chicken sandwich in front of Jake, before giving them a bottle of ketchup for the fries. With a sugary sweet smile and a saucy smirk directed at Owen, the waitress walked off while swinging her hips. Owen ran a hand through his already slightly messy hair, a little uncomfortable from the young woman’s flirting.

“A few, but nothing I can’t handle. If I could take some time off I would, but I guarantee that the whole studio would fall apart without me there. Sure, a lot of the staff are great at their jobs but not all of them are fully trained in what they do. Most of them didn’t even finish high school, but I couldn’t turn them away since they work so hard and to be honest…..I wouldn’t be where I am now without them. Just..don’t tell anyone I said that, okay? I have this image of being a guy who’s kind of a hardass and if that goes away, then I’m worried that nobody will take me seriously.” Owen said, as he squirted ketchup onto his fries. 

Jake chuckled. “ I promise not to tell anyone.” he said, before taking a bite of his sandwich. 

Owen nodded and as they ate there was a comfortable silence between the two, before Jake set down his sandwich and took a sip of coffee.. “So, there’s something I wanted to tell you.” he said, his tone of voice taking on a serious tone. 

Owen frowned but nodded, leaning forward a little while crossing his arms and resting them on the tabletop.”Sure, what is it?” he asked, looking Jake in the eyes. 

The larger man sighed, before taking a deep breath and exhaling. “I wanted to get you away from the studio because I didn’t want anyone else to now.. Owen….. I’m gay.” Jake said, whispering the last part to the shorter man. 

Owen was silent for a while, the cigarette hanging loosely from his lips as he stared at Jake. 

The larger man sighed, dragging a hand down his face. “ _ Lo siento mucho _ , but I couldn’t tell anyone else since I don’t trust them like I do you. We’ve known each other since before the beginning of the show and I’ve always considered you my closest friend.” Jake explained, making eye contact with the other man. 

Owen was calm on the outside but on the inside he was a screaming, blushing mess. He had always hoped that Jake would share the same feeling of closeness with him and now the man was confiding in him a huge secret. Owen’s brain screamed at him to admit it, tell Jake that he felt like they could be more than friends. That he shared the secret of being attracted to men and that he thought about Jake every single day, imagined them holding hands and in a few instances even kissing.

Suddenly Owen realized that he had not yet spoken his feelings about what Jake had said. 

“Oh, well…...I’m a little surprised but I’m happy that you told me Jake. I...feel a close connection to you too and it makes me happy that you shared this with me.” Owen said, giving the other man a soft smile. 

Jake smiles, relief washing over him. “I’m glad to hear you say that. I really treasure our friendship and I’m happy that we met all those years ago.” he said, taking a sip of his coffee. 

Owen nodded, his smile never faltering but his heart filled with disappointment. “So am I.” he said, picking up his coffee mug and raising it. 

Jake chuckles, before they clinked coffee mugs in a toast. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Savor this happy moment ya'll because the good times aren't gonna last for long.   
> See you next week. >:3


End file.
